(pdf) living learning together, year 7: unit 7 · 2019-06-26 · this gives them experiences that...
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New Horizons
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding: Key Stage 2, Year 7Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider CommunityUnit 7: New HorizonsComplementary Units: Fit For The Future Moving On Says Who?
The main theme of this unit is the importance of sound decision-making: both the implementation of good practice and the awareness of consequences that can arise from the decisions we make. Through a variety of interactive activities, pupils use their decision-making skills to help them work towards making informed and responsible decisions in a range of hypothetical scenarios that they might face in the future. This practice will be especially useful to them in future when doing the ‘right’ thing is difficult to do.
Teaching approaches
Local CommunityCreate opportunities for your pupils to actively engage with individuals, clubs and organisations from the local community. This gives them experiences that will help them to make informed and responsible decisions about similiar situations in the future. Some schools have formed meaningful relationships with, for example, local gardeners, food producers, shop keepers, professionals, fishermen, sports people and schools of a different type. In turn, this has resulted in pupils gaining experience of mutual understanding in practice.
Encouragement and PraiseBy Year 7, pupils are very capable of differentiating between praise that slips off the tongue (such as Superb work! or Well done!) and genuine encouragement that recognises their individuality. To encourage self-evaluative attitudes and intrinsic personal improvement, try using genuine encouragement that is explicit and recognises the personal qualities, interests and concerns of each pupil. Your goal is to encourage your pupils to progress from relying on praise to self-motivation for good work and improvement.
Also, be aware of why you praise and of the sometimes negative effect praise has (praising to manipulate/promote a desired behaviour, using in a competitive way to differentiate between pupils, etc.). This sort of praise is conditional and the good behaviour is often temporary.
The NewsUse local, national and international news items to generate discussion among your pupils. Use all forms of media to critically analyse how the same topics are reported in different ways (objectivity v. subjectivity). Local news is of greatest importance in the school and in the lives of pupils who live in the vicinity. Discussing local issues provides an opportunity for pupils to voice concerns that are real to them and to participate in democratic dialogue, which allows for the sharing and questioning of opinions. Engaging with the views of the pupils enables you, as facilitator, to promote a culture of tolerance and respect for cultural and religious diversity, equality and justice in the local community.
ValuesAs a class, discuss what your pupils think are the values of the class or school. Ask them to quickly note down what they think these values are in words or sentences. If the examples given all relate to academic ability, such as good scores or mathematics, you may want to consider how to foster abstract qualities such as cooperation or tolerance. Once values are discussed and agreed, it’s important that classroom adults translate the chosen values into practice. For example, if tolerance is chosen, your pupils will be quick to notice both examples and absences of fairness, patience, consideration and respect for both children and adults in all situations. The challenge is to help your pupils see that success or achievement is related to qualities such as resilience, perseverance or effort. As a teacher, remember that you implicitly and explicitly impart your values to your pupils in all you say and do.
Key Experiences in playing an active and meaningful part in the life of the community and be concerned about the wider environment
Themselves as developing members of a community:- recognising the interdependence of members in the school community;- being aware of how the school community interacts; how they listen and respond to each other and how they treat each other;- being aware of who and what influences their views and feelings and behaviour at school;- being aware of who and what influences their views and feelings and behaviour at home; and- understanding how their environment could be made better or worse to live in and what contribution they can make.
Building on Key Stage 1
- exploring and examining what influences their views, feelings and behaviour;- recognising the importance of democratic decision-making and active participation at home and in the classroom;- appreciating the interdependence of people within the community;- knowing about the importance of democratic decision-making and involvement and the institutions that support these at a local level;- developing an understanding of their role and responsibility as consumers in society;- knowing about the range of jobs and work carried out by different people;- knowing about the process and people involved in the production, distribution and selling of goods;- examining the role of advertising at a local and/or global level; and- exploring how the media presents information.
Moving towards Key Stage 3Personal Development Key Concept: Self-awarenessCitizenship Key Concept: Diversity and InclusionCitizenship Key Concept: Democracy and Active ParticipationHome Economics Key Concept: Independent Living
Working at Key Stage 2Explore playing an active and meaningful part in the life of the community and be concerned about the wider environment:
Progress in learning
• I know that when I need to make a decision I should think of my options.• I can weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each option.• I can talk about how I make decisions.• I can recognise when I need to say ‘No’ even if others want me to say ‘Yes’. • I can distinguish between impulsive and thoughtful decisions. • I am interested in learning how to make good choices.• I can refuse to do what I think is wrong.• I know how to decide if a situation is risky.• I can speak about good and bad decisions I have made.• I can name some values that influence what I do.• I can think about my values and personal goals when I make a decision.• I try to understand other people’s points of view.• I can explain opportunities for me to become involved in the community.• I know that there are opportunities for me to join local organisations/clubs, and before I do I need to be sure that their values and goals are similar to mine.• I know that if I join an organisation/club I will have certain responsibilities, for example to be punctual and do my best to be a good member.
Learning intention:Understand the decision-making skills that contribute to positive roles at home, in school and in the local community.
Key Stage 2, Year 7 Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community New Horizons
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Learning togetherBy Year 7, your pupils should have experience of regular involvement in discussion about their work and efforts through being made aware of learning intentions, negotiating related success criteria and receiving positive feedback and suggestions for improvement. In Year 7, you should continue with these Assessment for Learning practices, but also help them gain a clear understanding of what standards of ‘success’ look like and enable them to increasingly set individual targets for their learning. They should know and appreciate not only the reasons why you are pleased with their work but also be appreciative of their own role in what they have achieved and how they can continue to achieve.
Learning, however, is more than individual achievement and academic success. It also involves being able to work meaningfully with others, and we work best when we understand those with whom we work. Involving pupils in a range of collaborative situations with the local community, as well as in school, helps them:- be sensitive to others’ feelings; - adapt their behaviour and language to suit different people and situations;- respect the views and opinions of others;- take personal responsibility for work with others; and - evaluate their own contribution to the group.
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities by the end of Key Stage 2
Thinking, problem solvingand decision-making
Show the ability to use memory strategies to deepen understanding;
Identify and order patterns and relationships through a range of strategies such as grouping, classifying and reclassifying, and comparing and contrasting;
Make and test predictions, examine evidence and make links between possible causes and effects;
Discriminate between fact and opinion and question the reliability of evidence;
Managing information
Be able to ask deeper and wider questions to clarify a task and to plan and set goals;
Begin to challenge conventions and assumptions;
Be able to classify, compare and evaluate information, and to select the most appropriate methods for a task;
Develop methods for collating and recording information and monitoring progress on a task; and
Have a sense of audience and purpose.
Working with others
Become more independent in their social and interpersonal skills;
Show that they can work in different roles in a group and take responsibility for appropriate tasks;
Be willing to help others with their learning;
Understand and learn to respond to feedback; and
Work with peers to reach agreements and begin to manage disagreements.
Self-management
Evaluate what they have learned and compare their approaches with others;
Make links between their learning in different contexts;
Become more self-directed by working on their own or with a group;
Learn ways to manage their own time;
Seek help from a variety of sources;
Work towards personal targets identified by themselves or jointly with the teachers; and
Be more confident in their knowledge of their personal strengths and weaknesses.
Understand more than one point of view;
Examine options and weigh up pros and cons;
Try alternative problem-solving solutions and approaches; and
Use different types of questions systematically and with purpose.
Being creative
Pose questions that do not have straightforward answers and seek out problems to solve and challenge the routine method;
Use all the senses to stimulate and contribute to ideas;
Experiment with different modes of thinking;
See opportunities in mistakes and failures;
Learn from and build on their own and others’ ideas and experiences;
Value other people’s ideas;
Experiment with objects and ideas in a playful way;
Make ideas real by experimenting with different ideas, actions and outcomes; and
Begin to develop their own value judgments about the merits of their work.
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Consequences
Across the Curriculum: Connecting the learning
Exploring human issues in a safe environment.
Making links between cause and effect, generating possible solutions and trying out alternative approaches.
DramaThinking Skills and Personal Capabilities Language and Literacy
Alternatives
Words and phrases I will hear and use
Trigger
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Using a Thinking Skills diagram to encourage discussion and the sharing of views to reach a conclusion.
OptionsLong term
DecisionsShort term
Learning activities
Activity 1DecisionsThe importance of the consequences of decisions we make is considered. How we can make informed and responsible choices is explored.
Activity 2Decision-makingSimple decision-making models are devised and used.
Activity 3Decision-making skillsThe concept of choice in decision-making situations is examined and recognised. Strategies are devised to minimise risks involved.
Activity 4ValuesThe influence our value systems have on our decisions is investigated. The variety of sources that foster our values is also explored.
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PotentialRisky ReflectionlnfluencedValues
Perception
lnformedResponsible
Community
Learning activity 1: Decisions
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will consider the consequences of different types of decisions.We will become aware of our decision-making styles.We will explore a variety of approaches to decision-making.
CORE CONCEPT
Different decisions have different effects on our lives. Understanding the consequences of our decisions helps us make informed and responsible choices.
POINTS TO NOTEChanging schools will require your pupils to make a number of decisions, so it is important that they develop sound decision-making skills. Provide parent(s)/carer(s) with a copy of Resource A to inform them about the learning that will be taking place in this unit.
WHAT YOU NEED- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)- Soft ball- Fair Group Cards (Resource B)- Decisions (Resource C)- My Decisions (Resource D)- Ways People Decide (Resource E)
WHAT TO DO- Making Decisions- Decisions Taken- Ways Of Deciding
Making Decisions
Place your class in a standing or sitting circle. Give the ball to one pupil and ask him/her to tell of a decision s/he made today. They may need some prompting to help them think of day-to-day decisions (for example getting up when they were called, eating breakfast, working in school). S/he then throws the ball to someone else who tells of his/her decision. Keep it going until everyone has been included. Pupils who have completed the Wool Web activity in Unit 6: Who Cares? of this resource will be familiar with this type of activity.
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As they call out their decisions, list these on the board. When everyone has caught the ball and shared a decision, point out that decisions have effects both now and in the future. Illustrate these effects using some of the examples you have been given. For example, not getting up when called can lead to missing breakfast which in turn can lead to feeling hungry and not being able to concentrate. This could lead to missing an important concept for example in maths, which in turn could affect their understanding and enjoyment of the subject.
Next, explore the short- and long-term effects of some decisions, for example:- What if we decided to stop going to school?- What if we decided to start smoking?- What if we decided to join a sports team?
Brainstorm the immediate effects and the effects in the future of these decisions. Discuss the effect such a decision has on oneself and on others, for example the effect it would have on family and friends now and in the future.
Finally, fair group your pupils into groups of three using ideas in Resource B. Give each group a number of situations from Decisions (Resource C). (You may add a more appropriate situation in the blank boxes.
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Decisions Taken
Ask your pupils to identify four decisions:- a decision they made today;- a decision they made last week;- a decision they made this year; and- the most important decision they have ever made.
Distribute My Decisions (Resource D) and ask them to record their decisions, the immediate effect of their decisions and a possible long-term effect for each. Remind them that our decisions can affect us and other people and we need to think of
this in order to make responsible choices. Allow time for the pupils to complete the sheet, and then have them discuss their decisions in pairs. As a class, discuss some of the effects of their decisions on themselves and on others.
Next, ask them how they would feel and what they would do if they won £10 on the lottery:- What decisions would they make?- What would they do first?
Then ask them the same questions in relation to bigger lottery wins: £100, £1000, £10000, and £1 million. How do their decisions change with larger monetary increments? Point out that each of us has a different way of making such decisions. Some will want to do whatever they feel like doing, some will think and plan before deciding and others will be unsure of what to do. Also point out that sometimes the way we make a decision changes based on how important the decision is. Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each way to make a decision.
Think about a decision you had to make in school, at home or in the community.) Ask the pupils to discuss: - the possible effects, now and in the future; and- if the decisions would be easy or difficult to change.
Ask them to feedback the main points of their discussion to the class, then, together, discuss what decisions were the most serious and why.
Ways to decide
Distribute Ways People Decide (Resource E). Ask your pupils to look at the statements and to think carefully about how they made the decisions they identified during the Decisions Taken activity above (the decision they made that day, week, year and most important). After some thinking time, use the following questions to prompt discussion about the different ways to make decisions:
- Do you always use this way to make decisions?- Can you add any different ways to those already given?
Ways Of Deciding
Learning activity 1: Decisions (continued)8
Next, create groups of four and ask your pupils to talk to their group about a decision they made in the last week and to say how they made it. They could use the following questions during their group discussion:- What style did you use? - Are some ways more suited to some decisions? - What makes you use a particular style?
Finally, write a number of situations on the board. The following situations could be used or the pupils could write/tell their own situations:- A friend asks you to go to his/ her house. You agree. Later the same day another friend rings you and asks you to come over to go rollerblading.- Your friends are going to the cinema/a match/a party. You would like to go, but you are looking after your younger brother/sister.- Your best friend offers you a cigarette/cannabis/glue.
Working in their groups, ask your pupils to talk about the different ways of handling each of these situations and then to decide which option they would use. Close this session by having your pupils complete the following statements in turn:- Something I have learned is ...- Something that surprised me is ...- Some thing I will try to do in future is ...
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Learning activity 2: Decision-making
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERION
We will devise strategies for making difficult decisions.
CORE CONCEPT
Devising and using a simple decision-making model helps us make difficult decisions. Developing the pupils’ sense of power and pride in making even small decisions, and encouraging them to take responsibility, are essential life skills.
POINTS TO NOTEThis activity draws on Learning activity 1 of this resource and on decision-making activities from all the year groups of Living. Learning. Together.
WHAT YOU NEED- Poster paper and drawing materials
WHAT TO DO- How To Make A Decision- Make A Poster
How To Make A Decision
Suggest to your pupils that in making decisions we are sometimes confused and don’t know what to do. Askthem if they have ever experienced such confusion. If possible, share a simple example of your own and invite them to relate their own stories. Explore possible reasons for why we sometimes feel confused about what to do, for example uncertainty about what the decision is, not knowing all the possible consequences or fear that people won’t understand your decision.
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Next, brainstorm with your pupils all the decisions people make every day. Explain that decisions can be either major or minor. Explain that it is the possible consequences of a decision that determine whether it is major or minor. A major decision will have long-term effects and can mean big changes in your life (for example changing school). Also mention that even apparently minor decisions (such as buying a chocolate bar) can sometimes have major consequences (for example tooth decay and obesity if eating chocolate is a regular thing).
Together, categorise your pupils’ everyday decisions into major and minor categories. Most of these they may want to list in the minor category, so help them recognise those that seem minor but can be major (for example crossing the street, going home with a friend, lighting a candle when home alone). Discuss the potential consequences of these decisions, and explain that having a thought out plan is a useful strategy for making decisions - especially when they need to make a major decision.
Next, fair group your pupils into fours and explain that you want them to discuss four or five guidelines for good decision-making skills and suggestions to use when any decisions need to be made, minor or major. Introduce and explain words such as options, alternatives and consequences. Use a simple example, such as joining a club or organisation, to encourage reflective practice. Use the following questions to help them identify key steps in the decision-making process:
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What is the first thing to consider?- Why do I want to join? (to meet new people or because a friend is already a member)- What do I know about the club/ organisation?- Who could I ask? (A leader or another club/ organisation member)- Where could I find out further information? (Local newspaper, internet, or local council)- What could we call this part of the decision-making process? (gathering information)
What is the next thing to consider?- What are my options? (find out about other clubs/organisations, attend for one meeting as a ‘taster’ session, or do nothing)- Are there any options I haven’t considered? - Do I need to ask anyone for advice? (parent(s)/carer(s), relatives or neighbours)- What could we call this part of the decision-making process? (identifying options)
What else do we need to consider?- What are the consequences of each of the options? (too many clubs/organisations to choose
from, might annoy my friend by only going for one session, or might not meet anyone new if I do nothing) - Are any of the consequences more serious or important than any of the others? (take feedback)- What could we call this part of the decision-making process? (identifying possible consequences)
What else do we need to consider?- What will you do if your decision doesn’t work out? (Can you quit easily, and what if you paid a fee or have taken a responsibility/role in the club?)- What could we call this part of the decision-making process? (deciding)
Is there anything else we should think about doing after we’ve made our decision?- Reflect on what happens at the time and later.- What was/were the consequence(s)?- Do you need to do anything else?- Would you make the same decision next time, in the same circumstances?
- What could we call this part of the decision-making process? (reflecting)
Finally, ask the pupils if they are clear about exactly what they would do and in what order. Ask them to restate in their own words the steps you’ve talked about together.
Make A Poster
Fair group your pupils and invite each group to write up their own example of a minor decision and a major decision. Then, invite them to form their own four or five guidance tips on how to make a good decision. Remind them of the steps you identified during your discussion about choosing an organsation to join. Ask them to present their guidance tips on a poster and to put the tips in order. Alternatively, they could display a number of top tips in no particular order but with each tip in its own ‘box’ with a short, memorable phrase and with an appropriate illustration. It could take the form of a mind map or flow diagram.
Learning activity 3: Decision-making skills
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will talk about our decision-making skills and become aware of our decision-making style.We will become aware of the variety of approaches to decision-making.We will evaluate risky situations.We will devise a variety of alternative actions for risky situations.
CORE CONCEPT
We have choices and we can decide what is best for us. Devising strategies to minimise risk helps children control their environment and do their part to ensure it is safe.
POINTS TO NOTEA pupil’s ability to make decisions will vary depending on maturity and family circumstances. This may result in considerable variation in their work. Also, as the Risky Situations activity (below) requires the pupils to share personal experiences, be aware of your school’s child protection policy and its procedures for dealing with personal information should any issues of concern arise.
WHAT YOU NEED- Will I? Won’t I? (Resource F)- A Conflict I Have Had (Resource G)- Risky Situations 1 (Resource H)- Risky Situations 2 (Resource I)- Problem situations written on strips of paper - A4 paper for comic-stripping
WHAT TO DO- What Should I Do?- A Conflict I Have Had- Risky Situations- Circle Work- Comic Strip
Ask your pupils to identify situations where different people often give them different advice. These could be hypothetical situations or those drawn from their real-life experiences. One example is smoking and what their parents say, friends say and what they’ve read.
Next, give everyone a copy of Resource F: Will I? Won’t I? Ask each person to think of a situation from their own experience where they had to make a difficult decision and invite them to draw the situation on the resource sheet. In the speech bubbles around the drawing, have them add what others were advising them (or what they think
What Should I Do?
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they would advise) them to do. Then, place the class in pairs and have each describe their situation to their partner, the advice they received, the decisions made and an evaluation of their decision. Ask for volunteers to feedback to the rest of the class what they have written/drawn. They should only use their own example unless they have the permission of the other person in the pair.
Finally, select one situation from those given in the feedback session and have your pupils act it out as a role play. The writer of the situation should act as director of the role play.
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Explain to the class that decision-making skills can also be used to manage conflicts. Ask your pupils to complete Resource G to think about how they’ve used decision-making to solve a recent conflict in their life. Invite them to discuss what they have written with a partner. Rather than name particular people, encourage them to use phrases such as Someone or Someone older/younger than me ...
Then, ask the class to think about the discussions they had as part of this and the What Should I Do? activity (above) to think about what they’ve discovered about decision-making. Use the following questions to prompt discussion: - What have you learned?- What have you learned about yourself?- How will this affect your decisions in future?
A Conflict I Have Had
Ask the children to describe risky situations that they or others have been involved in. Take feedback and discuss the types of situations young people find themselves involved in their neighbourhood. Be aware that there may be a diversity of neighbourhoods represented in your class, each with its own risky situations. Encourage discussion using the following questions:- How do we feel in risky situations?- If something is dangerous,
Risky Situations Comic Strip
Have the pupils form groups of four. Invite them to make up a story about a decision-making situation. Then, ask them to draw a sequence of pictures in boxes to show their story, like a comic strip. Have them number the first and last box only. Then cut out each box of the story, mix them up and swap with another group. The groups then take turns to put each other’s pictures into the correct sequence and tell the stories. Have each group check with the creators of the story to confirm their sequence is correct.
Invite your pupils to sit in a circle and split them into groups of four. Each child is given a problem written on a strip of paper which the other three pupils in the group try to help him/her resolve. For example:
- You are given some homework. You know nothing about the subject.- You are invited to a cousin’s party but you don’t know what clothes to wear.- You want to make your mother a birthday cake, but have never cooked anything before.- You know there is a Gaelic football/rugby/hockey/hurling club in a nearby town/village and you would like to join but you don’t know anyone who goes there.
Allow the groups time to consider the issue and how they might respond. Then reconvene the circle and have each group share how it came to its decision.
Circle Work
how do we decide whether or not to do it?- What are the advantages/ disadvantages of getting involved in a risky situation?- Should risky situations be avoided? Why/Why not?
In groups of three or four, allocate a number of the risky situations from Resource H to each group. Alternatively, have each group select a number of situations that interest them. Ask them to discuss the situations using the questions on Resource I.
When they’ve talked about the situations in their group, discuss each of the situations as a class. Together, devise a simple strategy with the children for assessing risks, for example:- What are the dangers to me?- What are the dangers to others?- What are the advantages of the situation?
Learning activity 4: Values
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will explore our values.We will consider how our values affect our decision-making.We will discuss a variety of perspectives on different situations.We will look at other people’s perspectives on their own lives.
CORE CONCEPT
The decisions we make are influenced by the value system we hold. Our value system influences our decisions, and we acquired these values from a variety of sources. Understanding and appreciating other people’s perspectives allows greater tolerance and respect for their behaviour.
POINTS TO NOTEYour pupils learn and absorb values from what they see and what they hear, especially from those who are important to them. Values are perhaps ‘caught’ rather than ‘taught’. That is why we need to think about our own values and more importantly, about how we practise these in the classroom, in school and in the community.
You and other classroom adults should share your own values with the pupils. However, remember to use examples they can understand, as this is terminology that they would not normally use.
Invite your pupils to sit in a circle and start the discussion by explaining that values are things that you believe in and which consciously or unconsciously shape how you live your life.
My Values
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This unit links with Green Unit 4: Moving On and Blue Unit 5: Says Who? It also links with the Blue Unit: Speaking Up For Me in Living. Learning. Together. Year 6.
WHAT YOU NEED- It’s Important To Me (Resource J)- Complete Picture Scenarios (Resource K)
WHAT TO DO- My Values- How Others See It- Thinking About Others- Our Class Values
(If you completed Blue Unit 5: Says Who? of this resource, remind them of the discussion you had about values, where they came from, what their personal values are.) For example, you could say that you are really annoyed when someone does not tell the truth and that telling the truth is very important to you even when someone has done something you would rather not hear; so honesty is one of your values.
Next, ask/remind them to think about what they really treasure. Invite them to share with the class why these things are important to them. Ask them what would they take if they moved house and were only allowed to take one of their valued possessions with them? Point out that everyone has different things or people they consider important. Explain that in this activity, they will be looking at their values and what they think is important.
Next, distribute a copy of It’s Important To Me (Resource J) to each pupil and ask them to
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prioritise each value listed. Explain that they are to give each value a ranking from one to 20. One is the score for the value that is most important to them and 20 is the score for the value that they consider least important.
Emphasise that there are no right or wrong answers. Discuss each statement with them and clarify any points they are unsure about. Ask them to add two other values to the list, preferably values of their own.
When finished, discuss the exercise with the pupils using the following questions:- How did you find the exercise?- How did you discover which values were important to you?
Finally, talk with them about how our values influence our decisions. Use the following examples as an illustration:- Marie believes it is important to do what she knows her parents would like her to do, but she also wants to be popular with her friends. If her friends smoke
but her parents disapprove of smoking, she will have to decide which value is more important to her.
- William knows that his family has no friends from the Catholic/Protestant community, but he has made Catholic/ Protestant friends at school. He would like to meet with some of these friends after school and invite them to his home. What values might influence the family’s decision?
Invite the pupils to provide examples of decisions they have made because of what was important to them. Ask them to name the values that influenced their decisions.
value system
Learning activity 4: Values (continued)16
How Others See It
Ask the class to imagine that a person from another world came into the classroom. Explain that this person has heard the word giraffe but doesn’t know what it means. Ask each pupil to suggest one sentence that describes a giraffe. As they give the sentences, try to draw the animal from the alien’s perspective. So if a child says ‘A giraffe is big and long’, you will draw a figure that is long and big but not a giraffe. As more pupils contribute, the figure will hopefully become more like a giraffe!
Explain to the pupils that this activity shows how we see things differently and that nobody has the complete picture.
As a class, think about and discuss the values that the class as a whole currently holds and practises. You may be able to draw these from agreed class rules or a class charter everyone works to uphold. Then, together decide a few new collective values that all in the classroom would be happy to try to live by. Draw together four or five values, and under each write some statements that give examples of how the value will translate into practice. Monitor and evaluate the values regularly to check they are working for everyone. If necessary, have a class discussion for suggestions to improve the situation.
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Our Class ValuesThinking About Others
Select one or a number of scenarios from Resource K to discuss with your class. Afterwards, explain to your pupils that they are going to rewrite these stories from another person’s point of view. In groups of four, ask each group to rewrite the story from one of the following points of view:- the mother of the child;- the father of the child;- the child’s best friend;- the child’s sister;- the child’s brother;- the child’s teacher;- one of the group that the child is with;- a member of the local community; or- another point of view.
Invite volunteers to read their stories to the class. Using these rewritten stories, ask how these people might be able to help the child in the story.- Would the adults be able to help? How?- Would the pupils be able to help? How?- How would the child feel if somebody tried to change what s/he does?
VALueS
Respect- We speak to each other in a pleasant voice- We listen carefully when others are speaking- We use encouraging words
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Resource A
my school
Letter to Parent(s) / Carer(s)
Learning activity 1: DecisionsPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet Unit
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talk
ing
to y
our d
augh
ter/
son
abou
t how
you
mak
e de
cisi
ons
for y
ou a
nd fo
r you
r fa
mily
. It i
s al
so u
sefu
l to
talk
abo
ut im
porta
nt d
ecis
ions
that
you
hav
e ha
d to
mak
e, h
ow y
ou
mad
e th
e de
cisi
ons
and
wha
t the
con
sequ
ence
s w
ere.
We
ofte
n le
arn
mos
t fro
m th
e m
ista
kes
we
mak
e, s
o if
you
have
mad
e a
wro
ng d
ecis
ion,
and
it is
app
ropr
iate
, tal
k to
you
r dau
ghte
r/so
n ab
out w
hat y
ou le
arne
d.
Late
r, w
e w
ill b
e th
inki
ng a
bout
our
val
ues:
the
thin
gs th
at a
re im
porta
nt to
us
and
ofte
n in
fluen
ce th
e de
cisi
ons
we
mak
e. D
iffer
ent p
eopl
e ha
ve d
iffer
ent v
alue
s, s
uch
as h
ard
wor
k,
fam
ily, s
port,
mus
ic, h
ones
ty, r
espo
nsib
ility
, dep
enda
bilit
y, fu
n or
enj
oym
ent.
Man
y of
us
don’
t re
alis
e w
hat o
ur v
alue
s ar
e un
til s
omeo
ne a
sks
us to
thin
k ab
out t
hem
. Tal
k to
you
r chi
ld a
bout
yo
ur v
alue
s an
d th
ose
of y
our f
amily
. The
re w
ill p
roba
bly
be s
ome
that
you
hav
e an
d so
me
that
are
sha
red
by a
ll th
e fa
mily
. Thi
nk a
bout
whe
re th
ese
valu
es c
ome
from
and
whi
ch h
ave
been
ado
pted
by
your
dau
ghte
r/so
n. Ta
lk a
bout
how
impo
rtant
it is
that
the
valu
e is
illu
stra
ted
in h
ow p
eopl
e liv
e th
eir l
ives
and
wha
t the
y sa
y an
d do
.
Fina
lly, t
he u
nit l
ooks
at t
ypic
al s
ituat
ions
that
you
ng p
eopl
e fa
ce a
nd g
ives
them
opp
ortu
nitie
s to
thin
k of
how
they
wou
ld a
ct re
spon
sibl
y in
thos
e si
tuat
ions
. Tal
king
to y
our c
hild
abo
ut w
hat
we
are
disc
ussi
ng in
sch
ool w
ill h
elp
you
to b
e aw
are
of th
ese
situ
atio
ns a
nd h
ow y
our o
wn
daug
hter
/son
wou
ld re
act.
Use
ful t
opic
s to
talk
abo
ut a
re:
- he
alth
y lif
esty
les;
- be
ing
able
to s
ay N
o to
situ
atio
ns th
at c
ould
hav
e un
desi
rabl
e co
nseq
uenc
es;
- be
ing
able
to th
ink
of o
ptio
ns in
situ
atio
ns; a
nd
- be
ing
able
to th
ink
of p
ossi
ble
cons
eque
nces
.
As
they
gro
w o
lder
, you
r chi
ld w
ill b
e in
crea
sing
ly o
n th
eir o
wn
or w
ith fr
iend
s w
hen
mak
ing
deci
sion
s. It
is im
porta
nt th
at th
ey c
an m
ake
info
rmed
and
resp
onsi
ble
deci
sion
s w
hen
face
d w
ith th
e ch
alle
nges
of m
oder
n so
ciet
y an
d w
hen
mak
ing
a re
spon
sibl
e de
cisi
on is
diffi
cult.
A c
opy
of th
e m
ater
ials
we
will
use
is a
vaila
ble
in s
choo
l. Pl
ease
feel
free
to c
onta
ct m
e if
you
wou
ld li
ke to
see
thes
e m
ater
ials
or i
f you
hav
e an
y co
ncer
ns y
ou w
ould
like
to d
iscu
ss.
Best
wis
hes
Clas
s Te
ache
r
my s
choo
l
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet Unit
Using ICT
Write each word below on a card or photocopy the page and cut out the squares. Words with a coloured background are category titles. Distribute the cards to the class and explain that each card shows a word related to ICT usage. If you wish, name the categories and tell them how many words are in each group. Ask your pupils to sort themselves into groups based on the category of word they have. The title words can also be used.
Fair Group Cards
Learning activity 1: Decisions
Resource B20
21
Media
Animation
Gaming
Video clip
Photograph
Podcast
E-newsletter
Store
File
Folder
Organise
Back up
Portfolio
Save
Equipment
Printer
Laptop
Keyboard
MP3 player
Games console
Webcam
Internet
WWW
Web
Favourites
Search engine
Browser
Online
Communicate
Textmessage
Phone call
Chat
Instant message
Video conference
Decisions
Learning activity 1: DecisionsPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet UnitResource C
22
23
Making friends with someone who gets into a lot of trouble in school.
Joining a local club or organisation.
Asking for help because you don’t understand something.
Helping at a voluntary organisation event, either on your own or with an adult.
Speaking to your Mum when you realise she has been using your password to check on what was happening in the chat room you use.
Pretending to someone at home that you have no homework to do.
Smoking a cigarette for the first time.
Training for a team.
Playing with a younger family member or neighbour.
Deciding to support a different football team.
Taking on extra jobs so that you can save up money each week for a bike.
Buying new clothes.
Spending time talking to an older family member or neighbour.
Watching TV instead of doing homework.
Looking for help when worried.
Changing your hairstyle so that your hair is really short.
At your primary school you played Gaelic football but now you would like to try rugby. Or, at your school you played mini rugby but now you would like to try Gaelic football.
Resource DLearning activity 1: Decisions Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet Unit
24
My DecisionsA decision I made today:
Effect Now Effect In Five Years’ Time
25
A decision I made within the last month:
A decision I made within the last year:
The most important decision I have made:
Effect Now Effect In Five Years’ Time
Effect Now Effect In Five Years’ Time
Effect Now Effect In Five Years’ Time
Ways People Decide
Learning activity 1: DecisionsPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet UnitResource e
26
27
1. I just felt like it.
2. I asked a family member and did what they told me to do.
3. I thought about my options and then picked one.
4. Everyone else was doing it so I did it too.
5. I didn’t want to make a decision so I just let whatever was going to happen, happen.
6. It felt like the right thing to do.
7. I thought about my options and then I went through each one and tried to work out the advantages and disadvantages of each before I made my final decision.
8. I talked to someone I trusted and who I thought would be able to give me good advice.
Are there any other ways you know of or use to make a decision?
Will I? Won’t I?
In the space below, draw a picture of a difficult decision you’ve had to make. In the speech bubbles, write what advice these people gave you.
Learning activity 3: Decision-making skillsPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet UnitResource F
28
29
What An Adult Where I Live Says
What My Friends Say
What My Brother/Sister Says
What My Best Friend Says
What My Teachers Say
A Conflict I Have HadThink of a recent conflict you’ve been faced with. Fill in the report below with newspaper-style headlines to explain the various parts of your decision-making process.
Learning activity 3: Decision-making skillsPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet UnitResource G
30
31
RepoRting today
1. The problem2. My side3. The other side4. Some solutions
5. My decision6. How I feel now looking back7. What I’ve learned
32
Learning activity 3: Decision-making skillsPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet UnitResource H
Risky Situations 1
l dare you to……sectarian remarks
33
You are at home on your own. The doorbell rings. You are not expecting anyone and you have been told to stay in.
You are walking home alone one evening. You are tired. A car stops and the driver asks for directions. S/he offers you a ride home in their car.
Some friends are making plans to stay away from school without permission. You know what they are doing and that they will expect you to join them.
You have made a friend in your new school and you are walking home with him when you pass some older pupils from school sitting on a bench smoking and drinking cans of beer. One of the older boys is the brother of your new friend. You both stop to talk to them and they offer you a cigarette or a can of beer.
Your friends are playing in an old building. They dare each other to see who can climb an old staircase the highest. The staircase has missing boards and some of the spindles are missing.
You need money for spending on a school tour. You cannot get it from your parents. You see some money lying around a friend’s house.
Your older brother/sister offers you a cigarette. They tease you about being a baby and being afraid to try smoking.
In your new school you have made friends with a group of young people who were friends in primary school. You are walking home after school one day when one of them starts making sectarian remarks about pupils from another school. Some of your friends from primary school go to that school.
A group of your friends decides to go swimming in a nearby river. You know this river is not safe, but everyone is looking forward to going.
A friend says that if you sniff glue it makes you feel great. S/he says they are going to try it at the weekend. You are invited to come and join them.
You have made a friend in your new school. S/he has invited you to her house and when you arrive you develop a bad headache. There is no one at your own home and your friend offers you some tablets that her/his mum takes for headaches.
Think of a risky situation from your own community.
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet Unit
Risky Situations 2
Learning activity 3: Decision-making skills
34
Resource l
decisionsdecisions
decisions
Use the following questions to help your group discussion the situations in Resource H.
- What are the risks involved in this situation?
- What could the person do to make the risk less?
- Give three possible decisions that the person could make in this situation.
- Give one advantage and one disadvantage for each possible decision.
- What would you do?
35
Please describe which values are important to you by placing #1 beside the value that is most important to you.Place #2 beside the next most important value, and so on. Place #20 next to the value that is least important to you.
It’s Important To Me…
Resource J36
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet Unit
Learning activity 4: Values
37
Be good at school Spend time with lots of friends Be popular with my classmates Be my own person (independent) Spend time with a few close friends Be a member of a club or organisation
Help with younger children in school or at a club or organisation Be honest Make lots of money Be kind and thoughtful to my parents and family Become famous/well known
Be responsible and dependable Help and care for others Be healthy Have an exciting adventurous time Live in a big house with an expensive car Play sports
Go to church
Now write two of your own values. It is important to me to:
Complete Picture Scenarios
Learning activity 4: ValuesPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Violet UnitResource K
38
Emma has started to smoke with some of her friends. She thinks it’s fine to smoke because when she does it makes her feel part of the group. She’s heard about the dangers of cigarette smoking, but she doesn’t think it matters. Lots of people smoke and they are fine, she says. Anyway, Emma believes she has gained a lot from her experience of smoking. She likes sneaking out with her friends for a smoke. It seems a bit dangerous and risky. Sometimes Emma smokes because there is nothing to do, she says.
Matthew talks about children in his class and school who come from a different cultural background than him. He tries to make a joke about the way they talk, their appearance or the food they eat. Sometimes what he says seems funny and others laugh at what he says. This makes him feel popular with those he is with. Sometimes those he is talking about hear him and a sad look comes across their faces. Even though some of them cannot understand all that he is saying, they seem to know he is making fun of them and that the rest of the group seem to be joining in the ‘fun’.
Grace started drinking with friends down in the park. Some of the girls down there were older and it was good to be there with them. They were always doing dangerous and exciting things. When one of them offered Grace a drink, she was delighted because it made her feel part of the group. One night she drank a couple of cans and she got sick. All the girls laughed. Some of them came up to see her the following day and asked her if she was okay.Grace was delighted to have new friends. Her Mum doesn’t know she drinks, and Grace knows she would be in trouble if her Mum found out.
Thomas sniffs glue. He saw some of his friends doing it and he thinks there is a great buzz from it. It makes him feel as if he is floating away. He has a lot of sores on his lips and nose. Sometimes he gets teased in school about them. Thomas knows that they might be coming from glue sniffing, but he still does it. One day he got very dizzy while sniffing, and he was quite worried.
Sophie receives a photo on her mobile phone of Lucy, another girl in her class. It shows someone trying to pull Lucy’s skirt up on her walk home from school. Sophie laughs when she sees the photograph and is about to pass it on to another friend in her group, but then she begins to feel guilty when she thinks of how Lucy might feel.
Jack is chatting to his friend Mark online when a message pops up on screen. It appears to be from another friend, Paul, who they both know. The message is making abusive and threatening remarks about Jack. Jack is embarrassed and annoyed but doesn’t say anything to his parents or to Mark. The next day, Jack goes to see Paul, who denies sending the message.
39
Adkins, L. Ordinary Oscar (Scholastic: 2008) 978-1407104683
Borba, M. Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me (Jossey- Bass: 2005) 978-0787976620
Cottringer, A. Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero (Scholastic: 2008) 978-1407105284
Criswell, P.K. and Martini, A. Stand Up For Yourself and Your Friends (American Girl Publishing: 2009) 978-1593694821
Cutbill, A. The Cow That Laid an Egg (HarperCollins Ltd: 2009) 978-0007299102
Espeland, P. and Verdick, E. Making Choices and Making Friends (Free Spirit Publishing: 2006) 978-1575422015
Graham, B. How to Heal a Broken Wing (Walker Books: 2008) 978-0763639037
Kaplan, L. Coping with Peer Pressure (Rosen Publishing Group: 1999) 978-0823929757
Suggested stories
Kinney, J. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Amulet Books: 2009) 978-0810970687
Lewis, B. What Do You Stand For?: For Kids: A Guide to Building Character (Free Spirit Publishing: 2005) 978-1575421742
Medina, S. Right or Wrong - What Difference Does it Make? (Heinemann Library: 2005) 978-0431210063
McLeod Humphrey, S. If You Had To Choose, What Would You Do? (Prometheus Books: 1995) 978-1573920100
McLeod Humphrey, S. More If You Had To Choose, What Would You Do? (Prometheus Books: 2003) 978-1591020776
McLeod Humphrey, S. It’s Up To You...What Do You Do? (Prometheus Books: 1998) 978-1573922630
Romain, T. Cliques, Phonies and Other Baloney (Free Spirit Publishing: 1998) 978-1575420455
St John, L. Dolphin Song (Puffin: 2009) 978-0142413753
Borba, M. Building Moral Intelligence (Jossey-Bass: 2002) 978-0787962265
Lynagh, N. and Potter, M. Joined Up: Developing Good Relations in the School Community (NICIE and the Corrymeela Community: 2005) 1 87373930 3 (This can be accessed online at www.nicurriculum.org.uk. Follow useful links in the PD&MU section).
Mosley, J. Quality Circle Time in the Primary Classroom (LDA: 1997) 1 85503357 7
Suggested further reading
Further intergenerational resources can be found in the PD&MU section at www.nicurriculum.org.uk
Stimulus discussion examples of children coping with real life difficult situations. Navigate to Teachers and then to Video Clips.www.news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews
Click the news desk on your C2K desktopFor up-to-date news items for primary pupils www.learningni.net
Circle Time resourceswww.circle-time.co.uk
Games, posters and bookswww.incentiveplus.co.uk
Harrod Horticultural Budding Gardeners websitewww.buddinggardeners.co.uk
Suggestedadditional resources